1. Forming questions
—Et pourquoi ce ne serait pas pour vous, d’abord?
Rising intonation is the simplest way to ask a question. Just say the same words as when making a statement and raise your pitch at the end.
Tu connais mon ami Pascal?
Do you know my friend Pascal?

2. Forming questions
ATTENTION!
You may recall that some ways of formulating a question are more informal than others. Intonation questions are considered informal. Est-ce que is somewhat more formal. Inversion is generally more formal.

3. Forming questions
You can also ask a question using est-ce que. If the next word begins with a vowel sound, est-ce que becomes est-ce qu’.
Est-ce que vous prenez des risques?
Do you take risks?
Est-ce qu’il a cinq ans?
Is he five years old?

4. You can place a tag question at the end of a statement.
Forming questions
You can place a tag question at the end of a statement.
Tu es canadien, n’est-ce pas?
You are Canadian, right?
On va partir à 8h00, d’accord?
We’re going to leave at 8 o’clock, OK?

5. Forming questions
You can invert the order of the subject pronoun and the verb. Remember to add a hyphen whenever you use inversion. If the verb ends in a vowel and the subject is il, elle, or on, add -t- between the verb and the pronoun.
Aimes-tu les maths?
Do you like math?
Préfère-t-il le bleu ou le vert?
Does he prefer blue or green?

6. Forming questions ATTENTION!
Use inversion only with pronouns. If the subject is a noun, add the corresponding pronoun and then invert it with the verb.
Votre femme arrive-t-elle ce week-end?
Is your wife arriving this weekend?
To invert il y a, use y a-t-il.
Y a-t-il une station de métro près d’ici?
Is there a subway station nearby?
Est-ce is the inverted form of c’est.
Est-ce ton père là-bas?
Is that your father over there?

7. Forming questions
To ask for specific types of information, use the appropriate interrogative words.
Interrogative words
combien (de)? how much/many?
comment? how?
où? where?
pourquoi? why?
quand? when?
que/qu’? what?
(à/avec/pour) qui? (to/with/for) who(m)?
(avec/de) quoi? (with/about) what?

8. Forming questions
You can use various methods of question formation with interrogative words.
Quand est-ce qu’ils mangent?
When are they eating?
Combien d’élèves y a-t-il?
How many students are there?

9. The interrogative adjective quel
Forming questions
The interrogative adjective quel means which or what. Like other adjectives, it agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.
The interrogative adjective quel
singular
plural
masculine
feminine
quel
quelle
quels
quelles
—Je suis à l’hôtel.
—Quel hôtel?
—Carole aime cette chanson.
—Quelle chanson?

10. Quel(le)(s) can be used with a noun or with a form of the verb être.
Forming questions
Quel(le)(s) can be used with a noun or with a form of the verb être.
Quelle est ton adresse?
What is your address?
Quelles sont tes fleurs préférées?
What are your favorite flowers?

11. The interrogative pronoun lequel
Forming questions
To avoid repetition, use the interrogative pronoun lequel. Like quel, it agrees in number and gender with the noun it modifies. Since it is a pronoun, the noun is not stated.
The interrogative pronoun lequel
singular
plural
masculine
feminine
lequel
laquelle
lesquels
lesquelles
—Je vais prendre cette jupe.
—I’m going to take this skirt.
—Laquelle?
—Which one?
—Laure adore ces bonbons.
—Laure loves these candies.
—Lesquels?
—Which ones?

12. à + laquelle = à laquelle de + laquelle = de laquelle
Forming questions
Lequel and its forms can be used with the prepositions à and de. When this occurs, the usual contractions with à and de are made. In the singular, contractions are made only with the masculine forms.
à + lequel = auquel but
de + lequel = duquel but
à + laquelle = à laquelle
de + laquelle = de laquelle
—Mon frère a peur du chien.
—Duquel est-ce qu’il a peur?
—Nous allons au cinéma.
—Auquel allez-vous?
—Je vais à l’université.
—À laquelle vas-tu?

13. Forming questions
In the plural, contractions are made with both the masculine and feminine forms: auxquels, auxquelles; desquels, desquelles.
—Le prof parle aux lycéennes.
—Auxquelles est-ce qu’il parle?
—Il a besoin de livres.
—Desquels a-t-il besoin?